Trauma Treatment: The Influence Of Social Workers' Knowledge, Perceived Self-efficacy, And Use Of Evidence-based Interventions

Abstract

This research report asserts that trauma is pervasive and of those traumatized, 10 to 20 percent develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD symptoms do not automatically dissolve, thereby making treatment necessary. However, there is little research regarding social workers' knowledge of trauma and trauma treatment efficacy. Furthermore, there is a gap in the literature specifying social workers' utilization of trauma-focused evidence-based interventions. The aim of this research study was to determine if social workers' level of trauma knowledge and trauma treatment efficacy predicted the use of evidence-based interventions. A cross-sectional design was used to examine social workers' trauma treatment and what influenced their use of evidence-based interventions. All active members of NASW/TX who were licensed master-level social workers (approximately 3,297) in Texas were selected to participate in this study, of which 1007 participated. Survey methods were implemented to collect the data. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression statistical procedures were used to analyze the data. The results show that social workers' knowledge of trauma and treatment efficacy predicted their use of evidence-based interventions. Furthermore, the percent of trauma treatment and training best predicted social workers' evidence-based intervention use. Clinical settings also had an influence on social workers' use of evidence-based interventions. The lowest utilization of evidence-based interventions was in counseling/community settings, outpatient/residential treatment center settings, and inpatient settings; the highest utilization was in the VA/Vet center setting and private practice. Social workers with the lowest knowledge of trauma and treatment efficacy were at the counseling/community setting, outpatient/residential treatment center setting, VA/Vet center setting, and inpatient setting. Social workers with the highest knowledge of trauma and treatment efficacy were in private practice. Therefore, the more knowledge of trauma and treatment efficacy a social worker had, the more they reported using an evidence-based trauma-focused intervention, thus predicting their utilization of evidence-based interventions.